WASHINGTON (March 31, 2021)  — In 2019, Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans were severely underrepresented in the health care workforce, a trend that shows limited signs of improvement, according to a study published today by George Washington University researchers.

U.S. News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans are significantly underrepresented in U.S. health professions, with little indication that diversity will improve, a new study says.

GW Today

A new study from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health has found a severe lack of diversity in the health care workforce, a problem that, according to researchers, could worsen health disparities for minorities.

The study relied on publicly available data from the American Community Survey and the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data Systems to estimate the current racial and ethnic profiles of 10 health professions. Results found that in 2019 Black, Latino and Native American people were severely underrepresented in the health care workforce.

To track this fast-moving issue at the state level, researchers at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity have created an interactive tool that displays temporary, emergency state policies authorizing specific professions to provide the COVID-19 vaccine. This new interactive tool geographically displays state policies that expand on the types of personnel authorized to provide the COVID-19 vaccine beyond physicians, advanced practice nurses, and other traditional clinicians. It is important to note that this tool only represents emergency measures taken at the state level to address the vaccination workforce, and that general state scope of practice laws and federal policies are not displayed. 
Read more here.

Patricia Pittman, director of the Milken Institute of Health, professor in health policy at George Washington University, joins Yahoo Finance to discuss the shortage in healthcare jobs amid the pandemic to highlight areas where the projected increase of current hospitalizations is so high that there will not be enough physicians in ICUs.
Find the video transcript here.